Tree-planting machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

T. A. STRATTON.

TREE PLANTING MACHINE.

810,898,754. Pme-mea Peb. 28. 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. A. STRATTON.

TREE PLANTING MACHINE.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. A. STEATTON.

|TREE PLANTING MACHINE.

No. 398,754. atented Feb. Z6, 1889.

5mm/Mb@ Nrrn @rares PATENT Genion.

THOMAS STRA'VFO, OF LINCOLN, NlllilASliA.

TREE-PLANTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 398,754, dated February 26, 1889.

Application tiled June Z, 1888. Serial No. 275,867. No inotleld To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, 'Fi-urnas A. S'run'rrox, a citizen ot' the l'nt'ed States, residing at Lincoln, in the county ot Lancaster and State ot' Nebraska, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in T ree-'Plantin g Machines; 1 and I do declare the following to be a jtull, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, f such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which t'orm a part of i this specification. y

My invention relates to improvements in machines for setting trees and plants; and it has for its object to provide a simple and etticient machine of this character which shall comprise in a single machine mechanism for cutting the soil and openin a lurrow, in oombination with mechanism adapted to set the trees or plants at regulated and uniform distances apart and at a proper depth within the furrow, and of afterward covering the roots with earth and pressing the same firmly about the tree or plant.

A further object ot the invention is to generally improve upon andV cheapen the cost ot p construction, and at the same time render l more etticent in operation this class ot niachi n ery.

To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists in the peculiar construction and in the novel combinations, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated` in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- `l3`igure l is a side elevation of a tree and plant setting machine constructed in aeeordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ot the same. Fig. is a detailed view,

upon an enlarged scale, of the walking or paint-setting wheel, with parts broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the arrangement and operation of the clamping devices.

Reference being had to the details of the i the rim of the wheel.

7 drawings by letter, A designates the lramc,

which may be construetedot either wood or metal. and is supported upon the wheels B B, which are journaled within the depending brackets lig, secured to the outer angles of the frame at the sides ot the same, as shown.

C is an adj ustable rotary eutter-wheel,which is suitably journaled at the front angle of the trame and serves to cut the soil in advance ot the plow D, which is adjustably secured. to the biturcated plow-beam W.

Di" is a heavy plow or subsoilcr," which is arranged immediately in the. rear of the plow D, and which serves to deepen the furrow, and D4 are landsides secured to the beam Dl at the rear of the plow, and whiclrserve to prevent the earth at the sides from falling back into the furrow atterthe plow has passed. At a short distance to the rear ot' the point at which the plow is attached the plates or rods DI", which together form the plow-beam D2, are bent outwardly and extended for a short distance toward the oppositie sides of the machine, and are again bent at right angles and extended to a point near the rear end of the i machine, where their ends are curved inwardly, as shown, thus forming the inner frame, D".

E is an archway, tormedot' a strip ot metal,

l the lower ends of which are bolted to the opl posite sides of the inner frame, D", at a point near its rear end, the upper portion of this archway being narrowed.

F is a walking-wheel secured to the trans verse shaft F, which shaft is suitably journaled at its ends within the lower portion of the sides of lthe archway E, immediately above its point ot connection with the inner trame. The wheel F is preferably constructed ot metal, the metallic strips F2, forming the spokes, being securely bolted at their inner ends to the hub, and at their outer ends to The wheel is greatly strengthened by the addition of an intermedia-te band of metal, Fi, which is bolted to the spokes at a point between the hub and rim.

G G are the legs of the walking-wheel, which are made ot flat strips of iron or other metal, and are pivotally connected at a point between their ends to the outer rim of the wheel, each alternate leg being pivoted to opposite sides of the rim at the points at which the IOO outer ends of the spokes are secured. The

outer ends of the legs which are extended beyond the circumference of the Wheel are sharpened, while at a point near their opposite ends they are twisted, so as to present a iiat surface, G?, at right angles to the face of the wheel, and adapted to bear against the front edge of the adjacent spokeof the wheel, as shown.

1o Secured to the outer face of each of'thel legs G at a point adjacent tothat at which it is pivoted to the rim of the Wheel is a clamping device, G3. The flXed jaw G4 of this clamp is bolted securely to the outer face of the leg,

While'the springactuated movable jaw G5 is pivot-ally connected to the stationary jaw, and

i' fis normally held in a closed position by means ofgatspiral spring, H, Which spring is coiled around the 'extension H2 of thepivot of the 2o movable'fjaw, said extension being journaled lati point near its outer end to the outer face "thebztrfid FJt of the Wheel, and provided at itsfendfivith a lug or projection, H3, adapted, byr'eason of its engagement With the cam- 2 5 surface H4, to turn the pivot and thus open 4theclamp against the tension of the spring li Htm'he cam H4 is secured at a point adjacent'tothe rear portion of th'e Wheel, one upon either side of the wheel, as shown, Where they 3o serveto open each successive clamp when the leg 'of the Wheel to which it is attached reaches avertical position at the under side of the Wlieeljain'l the clamp will thus be held open ii1rti'l'-li`el'xvl1eel has made a one-half revolu- 3 5 tioirandfthe leg assumes a vertical position at'the'upper point of the Wheel. At this point,

- -theflm'glllg having passed the cam, the jaw of tliefclairip is at once closed by the tension of metering.

4o lI are bifurcated clamps, constructed preferablyI of spring metal and secured to the in- "ner faces of the sides of 'the archway upon eitlirfsiide, with the jaws of the clamps exte gtoward the front of the machine, as

"3ft is ashovel or coverer secured to thelower l`l"end ofl the standard J 2, the upper end of the 1 ida'rdbeing adj ustably secured to the inngei f m'e, D2, at a point near the rear end of 5o tll 'sanie,`and one of these coverers is secured upneaeh side of the frame, as shown, where "vtljfcjf'fse'rve the purpose of turning` the earth attlrc vles of the furrow back into the same landsides have passed.

r'tre heavy wheels provided with broad Fliese wheels are suit-ably journaled ned positions on slanting stub-axles j.the rear ends of the frame, and they `Atdfpress the earth back into the furrow ,paiou'nd the sides of the trees or plants Iafltelthey have been set in the furroT by the *I* hnec' faiism connected with the Walking-Wheel, and theyalso serve as a support for the rear he machine, as will be readily underlibe observed that the cutter-Wheel, plows, landside, and Walking-Wheel and coverers are all connected directly to the inner frame of the machine, the plows being secured to said frame by means of the standards L L2, which are bolted securely to the frame. The standard L2 is extended above the frame, as shown, and its upper end is bent toward the rear of the machine and passed within an archW-ay formed by the rod L, the ends of Which are secured to the sides of the outer frame. This archWay serves to steady the Standard.

The inner frame with all of its attachments is made verticallyadjustable in the following' manner: M is a crank-shaft j ou rnaled in suitable uprights, M2, secured to the inner frame at a point near' its forward end, said crankshaft being connected by means of a link, M3, with atransverse shaft, M4, journaled directly below the crank-shaft M Within the uprights M5, rising from the outer frame. It is at once evident that by this construction theinner frame lwith all of its attachments may be readily raised or lowered by means of the op'- erating-lever N, pivoted at its lower end to the rear of the outer frame, and attached to the arm M6 by means of a connecting-rod, M7, and the frame is secured in its adjusted position by the engagement of a pawl secured to the operating-lever, with the notches of the rack-bar lliS secured to the rear end of lthe frame.

O isa lever pivoted at its lower end to the opposite side of the outer frame at its rear end, and is connected by means of the rod O2 with the extension O3 at the upper end of the pivoted standard carrying the cutter-wheel C. It will be readily seen that by moving the lever the direction of the cutter-Wheel may be regulated. l

P P are boxes for storing the trees or plants to be set. These boxes are secured to the top of the outer frame, one upon either side, and they may be of any suitable or desired form of construction.

Q is the drivers seat, which is supported upon theV spring-bars Q2 at the rear en d of the machine, and R R are side seats for use by the operators.

The operation of the machine is'simple, and from the foregoing description of the con struction will be readily understood.

The boxes P having been filled with trees or plants, and the innerframe, with itscut- IOO IIO

next succeeding clamp, G3, the jaws of which clamp are by the mechanism above described closed at this point, and the plant is carried by the revolution of the wheel to the furrow, where it is left in an upright position by the clamping-jaws, which are opened at this point in the revolution of the wheel by the cam mechanism described. As the machine contiuues to move forward, the clamping-jaw is held open in readiness to receive another plant upon its arriving at the top of the wheel, while the earth at the sides ot' the furrow is turned back into the furrow and against the sides of the plant by the shovels J, and the earth is further pressed securely about the plant by the passage ot the inclined wheels K, which pass upon each side of the planted row, the drivers sea-t being placed at a sufficient h ei ght to allow the machine to pass without injury to the trees or plants.

In order to provide against the possible displacement of the plant by the slight rearward motion that would otherwise be imparted to the leg of the wheel carrying' the clamp at the moment at which the plant is released by the clamp, I provide the spiral springs S, one end of which is secured to the front edge of the clamp, and the opposite end is secured to the outer rim ot' the wheel, and 'the slight rearward movement imparted to the leg upon ,leaving the ground, bein against the tension of this spring', is in a very great measure overcome.

\\'hile lhave described the legs ol.' the walki ingwbeel as pi voted to the spokes ot' the wheel and provided with spring-actuattal clamps, I do not wish to limit myself to such exact construction, as it is at once evident that thelcgs could be made `integral with the wheel, and any ol the various forms of clamping devices adapted to su ch use might be substituted for the spring-actuated clamp which I have described without departing trom the spirit oi' my in venti on.

Having thus described my invention and set tort-h its merit what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. The coml'iination, with the walkinwwheel provided with legs extended beyond the rim ot' said wheel, of the springs acting' on said legs, sul'istantially as described.

2. The combi nation, with the walk i 1 igwheel and its clamps, of stationary clamps in the path ot' the clamps on the wheel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2:5. The combination, with the walki1ig-wlieel and the automatically-operating; clamps carried thereby, ot' the stationary clamps in the path of the clamps on the wheel, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the walkin ,fr-wheel and its clamps, of the archway over said wheel,

as described.

5. The combination, with the walking-wheel, ot clamps arrai'iged alternately upon opposite sides oi said wheel, the archway over said wheel, and the stationary clamps upon opposite sides of said archiva-y, substantially as and tor the purpose specified.

The combination, with the frame and the walking-wheel, of the plow, the subsoiler to the rear of the plow, and a coverer to the rear thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, with the frame, the walking-\vlie,el, and the plow, of the subsoiler to the rear of the plow, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The comlfiination, with the trame and the walking-wheel, of the cutter, the plow to the rear ot' the cutter, and the subsoiler in the rear ot the plow, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the walkinglwheei and the frame, ot' the cutter, the plow, the subsoiler to the rear of the plow, and the coverer to the rear ot the subsoiler, substantially as described.

lt). The combination, with the frame' and the walking-wheel, otl the plow and the subsoiler arranged in di tterent horizontal planes, substantially as and tor the purpose specified.

ll. lhe combination, with the walking;- wheel and the ltrame, o'l the rotary cutter, the plow, and the subsoiler, all upon diiterent. horizontal planes, substantially as shown and described. v

l2. The combination, with the trame and wanting-wheel, ot` the cutter, plow, and. subsoiler, and provisions tor adjusting them simultantmusly, substantially as described.

l). The combination, with the stationary trame, ol.' the movable trame and the plow, subsoiler, and walking-wheel carried by said movable trame, substantially as described.

l-l. The combination, with the stationary trame, of the movable frame, the rotary cutter, the plow, the subsoiler, the walking wheel, and the coverers, all carried by said movable frame, substantially as described.

15. The combination,with the stationary frame and the movable trame and its acces sories, of the lever N, the crank-shaft M, the links M M", and the rod M7, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l allix my signature in present-c ot two witnesses.

THOMAS A.. STRATTON.

1Wit nesses:

W. E. CHURCHILL, ALBA BROWN.

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